


Recollections of a Transgender Farm Boy with a Voice in his Head

by FanficMagicalGirl



Category: RWBY
Genre: Coming Out, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Headcanon, Nightmares, Team Bonding, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2019-11-04 16:10:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17901323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanficMagicalGirl/pseuds/FanficMagicalGirl
Summary: A series of oneshots featuring moments in the life of young trans boy Oscar Pine.Disclaimer- I am not trans. I have tried to portray transness as realistically as possible, based on research. Please, do not take anything I say as truth. Thank you.





	1. Combat and Coming Out

Oscar’s heart pounded against his ribs as he was pushed back across the room. Ruby’s signature red hood swished wildly. The movement, quite frankly, seemed excessive. He waved the cane wildly, hoping to hit her. She ducked before slamming a fist into his stomach. He moaned and tripped backward as pain bloomed through his abdomen.

“Oh, Oscar… I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I have to get used to it somehow.” She extended a hand down to him and hoisted him to his feet. Oscar could feel a bruise already beginning to form at his ribs. That was bad.  **May I?** Ozpin’s voice echoed in his mind. He conceded to the uncomfortably familiar feeling of Ozpin taking control of his body and pushing into the forefront of his mind. His stance lowered. The cane no longer felt heavy and unwieldy, but natural in his hands.

_ “Well done, Miss Rose, but Oscar and I are at vastly different skill levels.” _ Ozpin moved his body swiftly and easily, with the practiced skill of someone who had been doing it for years. It was scary, how comfortably he took on the position as the driver and shoved Oscar himself aside. He fought far more intentionally than Oscar, or even the other children. He could hear the professor’s thought process, the scanning and planning and reasoning behind every stroke and every swerve, every jab and every jump, down to every twitch of a muscle. It was terrifying to know that one day he would be that confident, composed, and calculating leader.

In front of him, Ruby had been pushed back to a wall. He swung, landing a firm punch on her face before stepping back.  _ “You seem to be improving, but you are nowhere near prepared to fight anyone else yet.” _ A rush filled his mind as Ozpin retreated. Oscar collapsed to his knees. Everything hurt and he couldn’t breathe and oh gods, was he bleeding? His breath was ragged and torn. He needed to get out of there now. He shot to his feet.  **Oscar?** He ran through the halls, ignoring the agony blazing through his chest. He slammed through the door, locked it, and collapsed.

**Oscar, I need you to breathe.** Breathe? He couldn’t breathe. Everything hurt and his chest was too tight and he needed out. Off came his clothes, then the binder, and there he was. Oscar Pine, face to face with his own broken, unnatural reality. It was wrong; he shouldn’t be this. He exhaled heavily, tears streaming down his cheeks now.  **Oscar, you’re going to be okay. Just breathe.** He obeyed, breathing slowly and intentionally, hating every moment of it. Everything about him was unnatural. What was he going to do? Oscar reached down to put the binder back on.  **That’s not a good idea.** He ignored the man; what did Ozpin know anyway? A knife of pain shot through his ribs, but he carried on. Oscar needed to be okay, and to do that, he had to do this. The ache returned, blooming through his chest and seemingly burning him away. He pushed through regardless.

**Stop. You’re going to hurt yourself even further if you continue.** Oscar didn’t care. It was better than the alternative. He breathed deeply, horrified at the pain that rippled through him with each movement of his chest. He stripped the binder off again. Tears began to pour again, quick and hot. Thank you. Someone knocked on the door to his room.

“Oscar?” Ruby’s soft voice called out to him. “Are you okay?” He couldn’t let her see him exposed like this. She didn’t know; none of them did.

“Yeah. I just need a moment,” he managed to say, praying silently that she would believe him.

“Okay. Let me know if you need anything.” He heard her walking away.  **Why are you afraid of them finding out?** What if they weren’t okay with it? What if they saw him differently, as less of a boy?  **They won’t. These are my students; I know them very well. They wouldn’t see you any differently, and they can help accommodate for, or at least understand, your limitations. I promise you, Oscar, that there are only things to be gained from telling them.** He closed his eyes, trying to process, but it was hard to focus through his agony.

He felt his pain begin to subside and looked down to see his hands glowing a faint green. Ozpin must have engaged his aura to help. Oscar exhaled, watching the green glow bloom over his body, soothing the pain and erasing the bruises. Thank you, Ozpin.  **Of course.** He reached for his binder once again, pulling it up carefully to avoid the quickly-fading remaining bruises. He struggled to his feet, put his clothes on, and walked to the bathroom, where he splashed water on his face, hoping that it wouldn’t look like he was crying.

Oscar opened the door and walked down the stairs. The others were sitting on the couches, mid-conversation. He cleared his throat; they turned to look at him.

“You okay, kid?” Qrow asked.

“Yeah. I’m sorry about that.”

“Hey, no problem,” Jaune said.

“I, um, have something, I, um, need to tell you.”

“Yeah?” Nora smiled at him.

“I’m… I’m… I’m…” Maybe this was a bad idea.  **Trust me, it’ll be okay.** “I’m transgender. I was assigned female when I was born, but I’m really a boy.” No response. He’d ruined everything. Ozpin was wrong. They weren’t going to accept him. His eyes searched for the door. How fast could he get out of the house? Nora shot to her feet, beaming. She threw her arms around him.

“Thank you for telling us,” Ren said, smiling. The others nodded. They accepted him so easily?  **I told you they would.** Ruby stood up and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you, Oscar.” He smiled. He’d been so scared of rejection but instead had discovered immediate and unconditional acceptance. Among a drunk, a ninja, a slightly-scary scythe girl, a human manifestation of excitement, and the voice in his head, Oscar Pine had found a  family. 


	2. Nightmares and New Understanding

Yang Xiao-Long was terrifying. She was incredibly strong and hot-headed, and, usually, angry at him. The walls bore more than one hole where she’d been furious and punched straight through them. He once saw her barrel through several ursae in a row to get to her sister. And he knew she hated Ozpin, which meant, by extension, she hated him, so Oscar was shocked when she was the one to come to comfort him in the middle of the night.

He woke up soaked in sweat and tangled in sheets. He stood up, still trembling, reaching out to Ozpin as he walked to the bathroom.  **Can I help you, Oscar?** Just be here. Keep talking. Ground me.  **I can do that.** He turned the sink on and splashed water on his face as Ozpin’s voice droned on in his head, telling some story about a food fight at Beacon that had almost destroyed the dining hall. He smiled. Just as Oscar slumped onto the bed, someone knocked on his door.

“You can come in.” The door cracked open, revealing Yang, clearly just having woken up. He winced. “Sorry, did I wake you up?”

“No. I was already awake. I heard you moving around and came to check if you were okay.”

“Yeah, just a nightmare.” She looked him up and down, and Oscar was suddenly hyper-aware that he was not wearing a binder. He was here, unwillingly exposing just how wrong and strange he was to someone who already hated him with a passion. He instinctively pulled the sheet up over his chest.  **Miss Xiao-Long isn’t going to care.** Maybe, but I do. Seemingly sensing his discomfort, Yang sat down on the bed.

“So, Oscar, when I have nightmares, my dad always comes in my room and asks if I want to talk about it. I never do, because well, how do you explain something like that to someone who wasn’t there.” She flexed the fingers of her metal arm. “So, do you wanna talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“Alright. Do you need anything?” Now, her hand was on his shoulder. Oscar shook his head. She squeezed his shoulder and smiled softly.

“Um… if you don’t mind me asking…”

“What’s the matter, Oscar?” That little thing, the use of his name, was all he needed to spur him on. Yang  only had a problem with Ozpin, not him .

“Why were you awake?” He shot a glance over to a clock. “It’s two AM, and we have to leave early tomorrow.”

“Oh, that? I couldn’t sleep either, I guess.” They sat in silence for a moment before Oscar spoke.

“So, then, do you need to go back to your room? You have another six or so hours before we have to go anywhere?”

“Do you want me to go?” He hesitated. He wanted someone to stay. He didn’t want to be alone right now.  **Even if she leaves, you won’t be alone. You’re never alone, Oscar.** But he wanted someone else here, someone he could hold to on in the world.  **And that’s okay. Just tell her.**

“Could you stay, actually?”

“Of course, Oscar.” She tucked her arm around him and pulled him close. Her blonde hair tickled his face. “It’s okay.” Her fingers wove through his hair gently. In the silence, he could just barely hear the whirring mechanisms in her arm, reassuringly steady and continuous. He closed his eyes, letting the gentle noise and Yang’s warm presence lull him back to sleep.

His eyes shot open to the blinding sunlight streaming in from a window. He shifted and felt a weight on his shoulder. Yang Xiao-Long was leaning on his shoulder, eyes closed. She was asleep. The events of the last night came rushing back to him in a flurry. Oscar moved to wake her; according to the clock, it was seven forty-five, and both of them were wearing pajamas. He was far from ready to go out into the town.

**I wouldn’t do that if I were you.** He stopped, hand over her shoulder. Maybe Ozpin was right.

“Oscar, come on! Get ready!” Ruby burst into his room. Then her eyes fell on Yang. Oscar lifted a finger to his lips. “Oh…  good for her.” She stepped backward and darted down the hall. No one else came back. It was another forty minutes before Yang began to stir. By then, Oscar’s shoulder was sore from her weight. She opened her eyes, sat up, and smiled.

“Oh, I’m sorry. How long were you awake?”

“Not long, You’re fine.” Yang rose to her feet, beaming, “Thank you for checking on me last night.”

“It was nothing. I used to have to do that a lot for Ruby when she was little, and, like I said, my dad would do that for me before I left.” She glanced at the clock. “Wait! We’re late!” She darted out of the room, leaving Oscar there to dress himself before Qrow came to yell at him. He stood up, cracking his shoulders with the light beginnings of a smile. A tug of binder over waist, followed by clothes, and Oscar was ready. He grabbed the cane and raced down the stairs.

“So, what happened?” Qrow and Yang stood at odds on either side of the counter.

“Oscar had a nightmare, so I went to check on him, and I fell asleep.”

“I get that, and it’s cool that you’re being nice to him now, but that doesn’t justify being this late.” Oscar cleared his throat.

“How are you doing?” Qrow’s demeanor changed immediately, from angry to sympathetic.

“Pretty good, all things considered.” Qrow nodded and stepped turned to the door.

“All right, that’s enough of that fluffy, feely stuff. Let’s go!” The others seemingly appeared out of the blue before darting outside. Oscar followed tentatively. As he did, Yang smiled and waved at him. He stepped out into the sunlight, ready to face the  day.


	3. Moving and Misgendering

A train whistle blew in the background, shocking Oscar into awareness. Ruby had coerced him into going to the gift shop with her as she looked for a souvenir for Yang. She essentially kidnapped him, actually, grabbing him and using her semblance to drag him to the store to help her pick something. Now, she was browsing through the piles of commemorative t-shirts and shoddily made snowglobes in hope that some glorious and perfect gift would somehow present itself.

As she searched for something, Oscar was left to wander around aimlessly and wait for her to finish. After an eternity of watching her go through the piles, she finally settled on what was quite possibly the ugliest mug he had ever seen.

“It’s perfect!” Next thing he knew, she had paid the man at the shop and was in the process of dragging him back to the group. A good fifteen yards from where they were standing, he heard a shout.

“CUTE TINY BOY OZ!” Nora barreled toward them, beaming. Ruby managed to jump out if the way. He didn’t. Nora grabbed him.  **Ah. Some things never do change, I suppose. Still, it’s good to see that they retain their light-heartedness, despite everything.** Oscar winced. As much appreciated as Ozpin’s musings were, he really did need Nora to stop doing such things.

“Nora…”

By then, Ren had made his way over to them. “Nora, please let go of him.” She stepped back; Oscar exhaled sharply. “Jaune and I are going to go find the restrooms. Don’t kill Oscar or anyone else while we’re gone.”

“The bathrooms are over there.” Oscar pointed across the station.

“Thank you.” The two of them left. The rest walked back to the benches where Weiss and Yang had been left to watch their stuff. Unfortunately, they didn’t even have time to greet them before a pair of rough looking men sauntered up to them, weapons, thrown over their shoulders. They grinned a little too broadly for Oscar’s comfort.

“Hey, ladies. We’re the hired huntsmen for this trip. We’ll be guarding all of the cars, but for just a little bit more, we’ll pay you extra special attention.” They were talking to Ruby, Weiss, Nora, and Yang. They weren’t talking to him. They couldn’t be talking to him. There was no way. Unless…  **Oscar.** Unless he didn’t pass. Unless the others had lied to him. Unless they could see, they could tell, they had him pegged and they thought he was something he wasn’t.  **Oscar.**

“No.” Yang was the first to respond.

“You’ll regret it if we get attacked by Grimm.”

“You’ll regret it if you don’t get lost.” Qrow chose that moment to reappear from a bar. He activated his scroll and showed them his identification, his certification as a huntsman. They gulped and turned away, running back to the train.  **I hope they weren’t Beacon graduates.** Oscar barely heard Ozpin’s voice. He didn’t care if they were the gods returned to Remnant. They had said ladies. They’d called him a lady. The world seemed to fall down around him. A wave of wrongness loomed, threatening to drown him. His breath was taut, short and sharp.

“-car!” Ruby’s hand was on his shoulder as she looked at him, silver eyes locked firmly with his own. “You’re okay. Everything is alright. They’re gone.”

“The train to Argus is boarding now,” a woman’s voice said over the loudspeaker.

“Come on, kids,” Qrow called. Yang smiled at him as they crossed the station, pushing through the crowds. There was quite a line to board. Qrow groaned as they joined the back. Luckily, the line moved quickly and easily, without a hitch. Soon, they were at the front. Somewhere along, Blake had finally returned. Now she was waiting alongside them, fingers interlaced with Yang’s. Finally, the man at the booth began to process them, one by one. As he did, a sense of dread began to rise in his gut.

“Identification, please, sir.” Sir? He smiled. It must have been a fluke, with those guys. Then he pulled out his ID, and his sense of dread suddenly made sense.  _ Hazel Pine. _ He froze.

“Come on, Oscar.” Ruby glanced down at his identification card and inhaled sharply. “Oh…”

“Come on, kid. You’re holding up the line.”  **Oscar, it’s going to be okay. Just stay calm and give the man your identification.** He complied, swallowing the lump in his throat. The man scanned the card and handed it back to him. Oscar let out a breath.

“Thank you. Enjoy your trip, ma’am.” Ruby grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the train as the wave came crashing down around him. Everything was wrong. He couldn’t breathe. It was too hot and loud and tight and wrong. He could hear Ruby’s voice, could feel her squeezing his hand and leading him away from people. She put him on a seat in an empty car.

“Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay.” Nothing was okay. It was hot and unnatural and wrong. She squeezed his hand tighter. “Oscar. Can you hear me?” He squeezed her hand back and looked up at her. She smiled. “Thank you. Are you okay?” He shook his head. She sat on the bench next to him and wrapped her arm around him. Carefully, she laid his head down on her shoulder. “It’s going to be all right.” It wasn’t, though. She started gently moving her fingers through his hair soothingly.  **Everything is going to be fine.**  Oscar nodded slightly. He felt Ruby’s hand moving up and down his back, a promise that she was still there for him. “Oscar?”

Soon he realized that the others were also standing around watching them. He breathed out softly and looked up at them. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Ren nodded. Nora beamed as the rest of them took their seats. Smiling, head on Ruby’s shoulders, Oscar exhaled softly; everything was okay, at least for  now.


	4. Action and Acknowledgement

Blood poured down Oscar’s chest. His shirt was soaked scarlet from the beowolves’ claws. He didn’t know what to do; despite Oz’s training, he was almost completely unprepared, and he definitely was not used to fighting alone, both inside and out of his mind. He swung the cane, slamming the Grimm into a tree. It growled and charged at him. Oscar ducked and swiped at it. The cane hissed as it blew past the beast. He stumbled, carried forward by the momentum of his strike. The snow 

The creature slashed back. He managed to catch its claws with the cane and shove it backward. Three more Grimm emerged from the woods. The four circled around him. He spun the cane around and slammed it into the lower legs of one. It collapsed into the snow. He jabbed the cane into the creature’s stomach. He exhaled sharply as it turned to smoke. Suddenly, pain speared through his back; another beowolf’s claws sunk into his lower body. He screamed in agony, buckling to the ground as soon as the creature’s talons were wrenched from his back. The snow turned scarlet beneath him. The chill seemed to soothe the pain, to numb the feeling in his lower body. 

What if he died here, cold and alone in the woods? He tried to call for help, but no sound came out. Could Oz help him, or was he gone for good? Did he even know what was happening? He almost felt the tingle of Ozpin in his mind. He reached out for it, pleading for help, only for the feeling to vanish once again. The world began to fade, the inky black of the encroaching Grimm filling his vision. Something rustled in the background, and then Qrow was there. His scythe rumbled and extended, and he lunged into the mass of beowolves. He swiped and slashed away at the beasts. A series of gunshots destroyed any Grimm waiting in the treeline. Within moments, they had all been reduced to fog.

“Okay, kid, I gotcha.” He crouched down and picked him up. The warmth of Qrow’s hands were a stark contrast to the cold that had overwhelmed his body, sending tingles down his spine. Qrow’s face finally came into view, a vague blur. As he watched, the world finally faded out around him. “Woah, woah, woah, kiddo. Stay with me.” He heard his voice pleading. He felt the wind against his face. Oscar’s eyes fluttered open. Qrow was running through the woods. He moaned. He looked down at him. “Yeah, come on. Just hold on a little bit longer.” His eyes fell shut again. Then came a rush of warmth; he could only assume Qrow had gotten him back to the house. That, or he was dead.

His eyes flickered open, and he tried to sit up. Agony stabbed through his gut. He looked down; blood-soaked bandages were wrapped tightly around his stomach. Qrow cleared his throat. Oscar looked at him. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. I was looking for firewood, like you said, but then there were the Grimm. I tried to fight them off, but one got me from behind and stabbed me. Then, you showed up killed them. But… I was stabbed in several places and lost so much blood before you even found me. How am I alive?” 

“Well, Ruby found bandages and anti-biotics in the storage. And your aura kicked in almost immediately. That’s probably why you survived long enough for me to find you. That’s what fixed the internal damage, at least the stuff that would’ve killed you otherwise, but you should be careful for a while.” He smiled sadly. 

“Thank you, Qrow.” Oscar exhaled. His aura had healed him? He wasn’t sure he believed that, given how much he had struggled with it. He’d never been able to activate his aura without Oz’s help for anything beyond passive protection. He wasn’t sure that was believable, even after all he’d heard and seen, all he’d done, in the past few months. Then he remembered that tickle, the tingle of Ozpin in the back of his mind, when he’d lain dying in the field. Had Oz intervened? He must’ve. He was shocked out of his thoughts when Ruby stuck her head into the room. 

“Oh, Oscar, you’re awake!” She plopped down next to him. “How are you feeling?”

“It hurts, but I suppose that’s only natural. Tired. I thought I was going to die, so in the grand scheme of things, this turned out pretty well.” She nodded. He tried to shift toward her, only to feel the knives of pain in his gut once again. 

“Hey, hey, don’t hurt yourself.” She scooted next to him and smiled. He looked at her. Her silver eyes gleamed in the torchlight. Qrow coughed. He looked straight up. 

“Now, kids, behave yourselves.” Ruby laughed. 

“Sorry, Uncle Qrow.” She jumped to her feet and turned to leave. “Weiss is making coffee. Do you want any? Or, Blake is apparently making tea.”

“No, I don’t like either. Thank them, though.” She darted out of the room, leaving Oscar and Qrow alone together once again. The two looked at each other for a moment. 

“We’ll move out in the morning. For now, just rest. Using that much Aura is going to be draining, no matter the context.” He nodded with a sigh before leaning back against the wall. Qrow gulped something down from his flask and walked away. Oscar closed his eyes. The bandages were rough against his skin as he breathed. The blankets rustled under his hands as he moved. As he struggled to hold himself up through the pain, he could hear the others rattling around the kitchen. Something clattered to the ground, followed by Ruby’s laughter and the beginning of a tirade by Weiss. He smiled. Despite everything that’d happened, and everything that most likely would happen, they would, in some ways, never change.


	5. Companionlessness and Comfort

Oscar Pine was truly, completely, alone. He hadn’t realized just how accustomed he’d become to hearing Ozpin’s voice in his head or, at the very least, feeling the man’s presence in the back of his mind. But now, he’d ruined everything. After all of the kindness and gentleness Ozpin had used when handling his secret, Oscar had forced his into center-stage and forced him to relive all of his trauma once again. Then, the people around him had rejected him for it. It was no wonder he’d retreated so far back Oscar wasn’t certain he’d ever come back.

He held his head in his hands as he cried. His gloves and the bedsheets below him were soaked with tears. It was so strange to be so alone after all this time. Until now, he’d been too scared and overwhelmed to dwell on it, but now, alone and safe in a house in Argus, the full impact hit him. It was a crushing feeling, empty and cold. A knock came on the door, and, moments later, Weiss walked into the room.

“I came to see if you were okay.” Oscar struggled to sit up. Weiss gestured toward the bed. “May I?”

“Oh, yeah, of course.” She sat down. 

“I’m sorry. You don’t deserve any of this. We’re all just angry and scared and confused, and we took it out on you, despite the fact that you did absolutely nothing wrong.” Oscar nodded.

“Well, you blamed Ozpin, and he left me to take the punishment. Now everyone’s angry at me and he’s gone and I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“I’ll be right back.” She stood up, and then she was gone. He closed his eyes and breathed out. Several minutes passed. Was she really going to come back? His question was answered when Weiss reentered to the room with a tray and two mugs. She handed him one. “I made hot chocolate since I heard you say that you didn’t like tea or coffee.” He smiled. “How do you feel?”

“I don’t know. It’s weird. Lonely, now that Oz is gone. Kind of scary. I don’t know what’s going to happen, or if he’s ever coming back.”

“Yeah, it is pretty scary. We’re all kind of in shock. We’ve done so much to get here, sacrificed our lives and lost friends on our journey, only to discover that there is no plan, that we might’ve done it all for nothing.” She looked up. “But none of that is your fault. You didn’t even get the chance to choose whether you wanted to do this or not.”

He sipped the hot chocolate tentatively. It was sweeter than he’d expected. A memory tingled in the back of his mind: a warm moment surrounded by people who supported and cared about him. Strange thing was, there was also an unfamiliar tinge to it, a separation between himself now and the person he was, like another, more distant, less authentic him. He realized why almost immediately. That was him before he’d come out, before his parents had rejected him and he’d been forced to move to another kingdom to live with aunt Emma. 

Weiss smiled at him. “My butler Klein always made hot chocolate for me after I talked to my father. He kept his study dreadfully cold, and he never wanted anything good. I don’t like that I have to go back there when I went through so much to escape from Atlas. Father is firmly entrenched in the upper echelons of society there. If we talk to anyone of any importance, he will find out about it.” She took a sip. “But if that’s what it takes, I’ll do it.” His hands tightened around his mug. The warmth felt strange against the damp cloth of his gloves.

Oscar looked up. “How? How do you do it? You risked your life to get away and now that you have, you’re willing to go back there because Oz thought that it’s the best decision.” 

“You heard what Jinn said; you’ve seen what Salem’s forces are capable of. This is not about me, or you, or Father, or Qrow, or even Ozpin. Not anymore. This is about humanity as a whole: the good, the bad, and everything in between. And regardless of my own personal experience, I believe in humanity. If this is what it takes to protect them, how could I not do it?” They sat in silence for a moment. Oscar finished his drink and looked back to her.

“Thank you,” he said, “for coming to check on me.”

“Of course.” She stood up, collected the cups, and turned to leave. “Oh, and Oscar, come find me if you get lonely again. We’re all here for you.” She closed the door, and Oscar was alone. He picked up a book Ruby had bought him. Violet’s Garden was emblazoned on the front in a pale shade of purple. Below it was the author’s name, Lavender Purpura. He flipped to the first page and began to read. 

It started almost unnoticeable, but slowly and surely the loneliness returned, a hollow ache in the back of his mind. He missed Oz, missed his commentary in the back of his mind. He closed his eyes and slumped backward. It had only been a few hours since Weiss had left; if he sought her out now, it’d just seem like he was desperate. He couldn’t risk that, not now, not when everything was already so precarious. He had be careful. Oscar opened his eyes and tried to focus on reading again, to no avail. The feeling was overwhelming. Finally, he slammed to book shut and walked out of the room. 

Downstairs, he looked at the couch; Blake and Yang were leaning against each other, smiling as they watched a movie. Blake was pretty obviously asleep. Suddenly a clang rang out from the kitchen. Moments later, a huge white cloud came billowing out. He walked into the kitchen to find Ruby covered in flour, standing next to Weiss. Weiss might have been covered as well, but he didn’t know. She was pale and wore basically only white anyway.

“Hey, Oscar, we’re making cookies! Want to join us?” Ruby tried to brush the flour off, only to smear even more of it on herself. He smiled.

“Of course.” Ruby darted forward, mussing his hair. Flour rained down; he had a sinking suspicion that his hair was now streaked with white. He picked up a whisk and nodded. “Are we making cookies or not?


	6. Dreams and Determination

They were chasing him. As he raced through the darkness, eyes scanning for something, anything, he could hear them scraping and shouting behind him. Oscar shot a glance behind him to face the creatures. Roiling masses flickered from image to image: a girl with piercing silver eyes, like Ruby but older, smiling as she turned away, white cloak flowing in the wind; a man with a shock of green hair, coffee mixing with blood as it ran down his face; a woman he recognized as Salem before she had fallen into the pools of Grimm, eyes brimming with tears. Mingled among them were younger faces, those of a girl with brown hair who bore a striking resemblance to Hazel; a young woman in armor, screaming as aura blazed around her; the flickering faces of countless teenagers, each with the familiar lights of a maiden’s power flowing from their eyes, that eventually solidified into four faces, clearly sisters.

He kept running, barreling through the darkness with no marker for how long he’d been going. He couldn’t get away from the monsters, no matter how fast he ran. His feet pounded against the ground as he ran. They never seemed to get any neither closer nor farther, no matter how fast he ran, yet he knew that they were coming, were going to catch him at any moment. Suddenly, he stumbled and slammed into the ground. He expected pain, but nothing came but panic. He looked behind him. The inky masses of figures and faces lurched toward him. Oscar scrambled backward, struggling to escape. He managed to get himself back on his feet before they caught him.

They finally settled into one image, that of a man and woman, with black hair and hazel eyes, who he knew too well. He’d lived with them for thirteen years; they were his parents, Poppy and Ojo Pine. His mother smiled a fake, plasticky grin.

“Come on, Hazel. We’re going home.” She reached out to grab him. He tried to run, only to discover his legs didn’t work. As he struggled, he could hear his heart pounding in his ears like the frantic ticking of a clock. He twisted to reach away from her. “Now where are you going, Ozpin?” Salem’s face glared down at him. He tried to scream, run, fight, anything, but he couldn’t move. She grabbed him, and the world twisted wildly.

A black spire towered above him, cutting through the scarlet sky. Grimm circled around him, howling and salivating. His parents reappeared. His mother grinned that artificial smile once again. “Come on.” He was angry now. He tried to fight once again as she stepped toward him. “You are being a very bad little girl and we are going home right now.” Salem and his mother seemed to blend together, a haunting image of neither, and yet both. “That is enough of this. You are coming with me.”

He squeezed his eyes closed as he tried to block it out. His entire body shook. She was coming for him. They were coming for him. Oscar felt the creature’s hands wrap around his arm, cold and hard. He screamed, finally breaking whatever had held him still and silent. Within a moment, Oscar had bolted away, now running through the cold emptiness, crimson light filtering through jet-black spikes and tracing red stripes across his body. He had to escape before she caught him. He could only assume that she was chasing, and she wasn’t going to find him.

Then a feeling hit him, like a splash of water on his face. It flowed through his body, washing away the terror and the fear, leaving nothing up a strange sense of peace. It made no sense. He could still see the figure approaching him, but it no longer felt any form of threat emerging from it. He stopped running until it hit him. As she enveloped him in her arms and cloak, the world went black.

Oscar’s eyes shot open, and he sat bolt upright. Sweat soaked his shirt cold. He looked around in confusion. Ren stood on the side of the bed, hand pressed against the bedframe. “Are you okay, Oscar?”

“What happened?”

“You were having some kind of nightmare. I had to intervene with my semblance. You were screaming loud enough to wake up Adrian. Saphron and Terra are trying to get him back to sleep, but we had to quiet you so he could sleep.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You did nothing wrong.” Oscar frowned.

“Thank you.”

“Will you be alright?”

“I think so.” Ren nodded and walked away. Oscar exhaled softly and picked up a book, the one Ruby had given him. He opened it and began to read. Within minutes, he was absorbed in the story. He didn’t notice the passing of time until the sunlight streamed through his window. He yawned, stretched, and stood up. He quickly got dressed and went to the kitchen. Saphron was walking around the kitchen, making coffee. “I’m sorry about last night, Mrs. Cotta-Arc.”

“It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault. Just, um, try to avoid doing it again. Adrian’s going to be a bit grumpy today.”

Terra stuck her head around the corner. “Yeah, his teacher is not going to be happy.” He frowned. She walked into the room and up to him, holding Adrian to her hip.

“I’ll be sure to try.” The little boy smiled. He waved his hand at Oscar and giggled. Oscar smiled back.

“See, Oscar? He doesn’t mind.” Saphron smiled too as she handed her wife a mug of coffee. “Don’t worry about it.” He beamed and nodded, watching the baby wave and laugh. It was true. Adrian had, in fact, forgiven him.  



	7. Family and First Dates

“I think it should be right here,” Oscar said. They came to a stop in front of an ice cream shop. Inside, teenagers and families milled about or sat at tables, carrying cones. She nodded and pushed the door open. A bell chimed overhead. The woman at the counter looked up from the register.

“Welcome to Finella’s!” She smiled. Ruby walked directly to the counter. “How may I help you?”

Oscar stepped forward. “I’d like a vanilla cone, please.” He turned to Ruby. “What do you want, Ruby?”

“One chocolate cone, please.” The woman nodded. Oscar handed her his lien. A moment later, she handed them the two cones, each wrapped in napkins. “Thank you!” They turned away and walked out of the store. Ruby spun to face him as she licked her ice cream. She led him through the city of Argus, looking for somewhere to sit. Finally, she settled on a bench overlooking the ocean. As the two of them sat in silence, Oscar felt Ruby shifting toward him. 

He smiled and slid his hand over hers. She looked to him, then took his hand and squeezed it. He giggled; ice cream was smeared across her face. Ruby started, then began to laugh herself. She fished around until she found a napkin and swiped away the mess. They turned back to the ocean. Within moments, Oscar felt a weight on his shoulder. He turned to look and found Ruby leaning on him.

A bird cawed in the background. She sat bolt upright and looked around, immediately alert. A black bird soared overhead before swooping back down into the city. “Was that… your uncle?” She snorted.

“It could be.” Ruby leaned back onto him. “But that doesn’t really matter, does it?” He shook his head.

“I suppose it doesn’t.” With a crunch, she swallowed the remains of her cone and leapt to her feet. He stood up too. “Where would you like to go now?” 

“I don’t know. We could just wander around town and go back to the house if we don’t find anything,” she offered. With a nod, he let Ruby pull him down the hill. Ruby’s fingers were still entwined with his as they walked along, smiling. They wove through the streets, dodging people. Suddenly she stopped. “Oscar! Look! A weapon store!” With a yank, she pulled him into the store.

The aisles were stocked with basic weapons, the standard swords, guns, and shields, alongside books, magazines, and manuals on how to build custom weaponry. Shelves of ammunition and raw forging materials lined the walls. A few other people were browsing the store, but for the most part, it was almost entirely empty. In a blur of red, Ruby was halfway across the shop, leaving a trail of rose petals scattered across the floor. “Hey Oscar! Look at this!” He smiled and walked over to her. She picked up a large silver sword and swung it around gleefully. He ducked as the blade whished past his face. He took a fearful step back.

“Um… Ruby… maybe… put the sword down?” She froze and looked around before lower the sword with a sheepish laugh. 

“Oh. I might have gotten a little carried away. I mean, weapons are just so cool. Of course, nothing here compares to Crescent Rose, but it’s all just so great and wonderful and I love it, I mean have you seen some of the stuff people use, it’s so cool… ” She trailed off. “Sorry.”

He laughed. “It’s okay.” Ruby beamed and put the sword back on the shelf. She spun around before her eyes landed on a large mace. She grabbed it and spun it around.

“You know, this looks like… it is! Cardin bought his weapon! Of course he did.”

“Cardin?”

“This kid at Beacon who bullied Jaune for a while. Definitely the kind of person who would buy his weapon.” Oscar sniffed. He was used to having Oz there to chime in, to offer his own two cents on anything and everything. Knowing him, he certainly would have had a word or two about this Cardin kid. “Oscar? You okay?”

“Yeah.” She nodded and put the mace down before taking his hand again. “Should we head back soon?”

“Probably, but I’ll warn you ahead of time; Yang is going to interrogate you.” He winced, already imagining the click of the Ember Celica and the feeling of her metal arm against his skin. She squeezed his hand and led him back out into the street. They walked back to the Cotta-Arc house in comfortable silence, except for when, about halfway there, they realized that neither of them knew where to go, and they wound up having to ask a man at a noodle stand for directions. Yang and Qrow were sitting on the step, in the middle of a conversation. When Yang heard them walk nearby, she rose to her feet, arms crossed over her chest. 

“How was it? Did he behave? Was Oscar nice?” she demanded.

“It was great, Yang. He was wonderful, so don’t worry.” 

“You’re my sister, wandering around a strange town on a first date with a kid we haven’t known all that long. I’m going to worry about you.” 

“Well, in this case, it’s not needed.” She spun around with a smile. Blake stuck her head out of the house. 

“Oh, Ruby, you’re back.” Nora followed. She leapt over the railing and threw her arms around Ruby.

“How did it go? Did you have fun?” Ruby nodded. 

“Thank you, Oscar. I had fun. I’d love to do this all again sometime soon.” Smiling, she wrapped her arms tightly around him and pressed her lips to his forehead in a light, sweet kiss. As soon as the kiss had begun, it was over. She ran into the house, leaving him blushing in the cold. 

“Well, she seems happy.” Qrow came down from the porch, smiling. He ruffled Oscar’s hair with one hand. “Good job, kid.”


	8. Crashing and Connection

He was shaking, breath taut, rapid, and shaky. Smoke poured into his lungs; he could hear Ms. Calavera coughing somewhere else in the plane. Oz had managed to help him land the plane without crashing it beyond usability, even if it was now pouring smoke out of the engine, but now he was gone. Oscar closed his eyes, trying to focus on breathing. It didn’t work. His chest ached with a combination of binding, smoke, and adrenaline, punctuated by a stabbing pain slicing through his ribs that accompanied each breath. He tried to get to his feet, but his knees buckled under him. What if nobody came? What if they all got arrested and never made it to Atlas and Salem won? What if- **Oscar. You are going to be okay.** He felt him engage their Aura. Slowly, the pain subsided and his breathing evened out into a more comfortable, steadier pattern.

He fought to his feet and brushed himself off. Ms. Calavera’s mechanical eyes clicked and whirred in the silence. “Are we all intact?” He nodded. “Then let’s go.”

“What about the ship? Isn’t is damaged?”

“This old thing? It’s fine. Just give me a moment.”

“What about your eyes? Maybe I should look at it.” He wandered over and began pushing buttons on the console. Moments later, the ship buzzed to life. **See? Everything is alright.** Oscar nodded. He slid into the chair and turned to Ms. Calavera. “Let’s do this.”



Oscar was sitting on the floor. It had been decided that Ms. Calavera was indeed fit to drive. The others were talking in the background. He wasn’t listening. Instead, Oz had settled back into his position as Oscar’s co-pilot, and he was realizing just how much he’d missed him. Thank you. **Of course.**  I would have died back there without you. **No, you wouldn’t have. You were and are perfectly capable of surviving. You just needed some encouragement.** I’m sorry. **You have nothing to be sorry for.** But… I exposed you. I forced you to relive your past and then didn’t stand up for you. You have every right to be upset with me right now. **That may be, but It does not change the fact that I’m not angry with you. We were all under pressure, and we all made mistakes, me included.** Thank you.

“-Haven't done crazy stuff before! I mean, Oscar made a successful crash landing! He's a fourteen-year-old farm hand!” He looked up, surprised. Ruby was pointing at him.

“That was seriously impressive.”

“We'd have been stranded without you.”

“I... thanks, but…” What could he say? **Just tell them the truth.** But what if they were angry? **They’ll be angrier if they find out later.** “I've been meaning to tell you guys... I didn't land the ship on my own.” He explained how Oz had been there, had guided him through the landing without actually taking control, before disappearing. He decided, of his own accord, that maybe now wasn’t, however, the best time to mention that after helping him land the plane and disappearing, Oz had returned and, in fact, stayed. **Why didn’t you tell them?** I don’t want to force you into the open again until you’re ready. **They’re going to blame me for that, you know.** I’ll be honest. It was my decision to hide it; it’s only fair that I take the blame. **They won’t understand that, or they’ll just be angry at both of us.** Do you want me to tell them? **I trust you. Just be careful**. I will. And, thank you. **Of course.**

“Hey, if you’ve never seen Atlas in person before, you don’t wanna miss this.” He struggled to his feet and as he did, Ruby reached out and took his hand in her own. She led him up to the cockpit. The others trailed behind them.

“Is it weird that I’m nervous?” She leaned over onto his shoulder, letting her head rest on him.

“No, I'll believe we've made it to Atlas when I see it.” Yang flexed her arm and glanced at Blake.

Weiss stepped between them. “Well, believe it.” They burst out of the clouds. A floating city hovered in front of them, a metropolis of metal and machinery that was somehow suspended in the air above an entire other city.

“Wow!” Nora’s eyes widened in amazement.

“You know, you make the trip up to Atlas over and over, but you never get used to that view,” Ms. Calavera said. Her eyes buzzed and flickered. “Oh, come on.” She tapped them and twisted the lenses, trying to fix her vision yet again. Weiss stepped forward and gasped.

“Weiss, what is it?” Ruby stepped up to the window as well, careful not to let go of his hand.

“The Atlas Air fleet… I knew all of our ships were called back, but…” Weiss’ hand unconsciously fell on her rapier.

“They’re set up as if they’re expecting an attack,” Qrow muttered, running his hands through his hair. Ozpin hummed a warning in the back of his mind. **They most likely are anticipating an attack from a hijacked airship, especially since the Fall of Beacon. James is not going to be pleased that you stole an airship.** The radio buzzed. A familiar voice, one he’d heard on TV and Oz had heard in person a thousand times, crackled over the speaker.

“Manta Five-One, welcome home.”


	9. Identity and Interaction

General Ironwood slammed his hand down on the table. “What were you thinking? A bunch of children, an old woman, and a huntsman stealing an Atlas airship? What could possibly make you believe that that was the right answer?”

“Well, it started because your guards wouldn’t let us through, even when we said we were taking Weiss home!” Qrow spat.

“The borders are closed for the safety of Atlas.”

“But screw the rest of the world, huh? Haven has fallen! Lionheart betrayed us! The vault was opened! And here you are, sitting in your tower, locking yourself away, rather than actually doing something!” Ironwood froze.

“The relic. Where is the relic?” Ruby stepped forward and gestured to the lamp hanging on her waist. He exhaled. “Miss Rose. We have to keep the relic safe. I will be taking it.” She shot Oscar a hesitant look, clearly hoping that Oz had some form of advice. He just looked away. Ruby nodded and handed him the lamp. He set it gently on the desk before looking back up at them.  “And who is he?” He gestured to Oscar. “He’s too young to be a student, even one who was let in early.” Then he pointed at Maria. “And what about Ms. Calavera? How did she get wrapped up in all of this?”

“This is Oscar. He’s,” Qrow shot him a questioning look. Oscar exhaled and nodded. **Oscar? May I?** Are you sure? **Yes.** Of course. “Professor Ozpin.” He felt Ozpin take control once again, far slower and more careful than he remembered him being. **Thank you, Oscar.**  He watched Ironwood blink.

_“Hello, James.”_

“Ozpin?”

_“Yes.”_ Ironwood exhaled sharply.

“Thank the gods. What is our next move from here?”

_“That remains to be seen. For now, securing the lamp must remain our highest priority.”_

“Of course.” Oz nodded. “However, I cannot allow your actions to go unpunished. There must be repercussions to ensure that the people of Atlas feel secure. 

_“James, this is not the time for posturing. We need to move quickly, I’m afraid.”_ Ozpin gestured to the lamp. _“You must ensure that the relic at Atlas remains safe, alongside this one.”_

“Of course." 

_“Perhaps it would be most reasonable for us to say that the ship was mistakenly reported as stolen, when it was, in fact, a scheduled flight. The Argus base did not receive the order to let us through due to issues with the communications, which have now been resolved.”_ Ironwood nodded. _“The people of Atlas will feel assured that they are safe, and we are allowed to carry on as necessary for the preservation of that safety.”_

“Of course. Any media that ask about the event will be given that story. Now, will you need a place to stay while you are in Atlas? Miss Schnee will most certainly need to be kept away from her father.”

_“We will. I presume you have someplace in mind?”_

“A contact of mine, a woman named Petal Blanc, owns a house in the city. She is currently working deep undercover in the White Fang.” Blake’s eyes widened.

 “The White Fang?”

“Yes. She was sent in after the Fall of Beacon to keep us informed. After the attack on Haven, she is now tracking the movements of those who managed to escape. Regardless, her house remains available.”

_“We would appreciate if we could use it, so long as she does not mind us doing so.”_

“Ms. Blanc is aware that her house is used as a safehouse for many members of my intelligence network. She will not be upset by it.”

_“In that case, thank you. That would be much appreciated.”_ Moments later, Qrow’s scroll dinged as Ironwood messaged him the address. _“Now, excuse me, children, Qrow, Ms. Calavera, I need to talk to James alone for a moment. Please wait outside. I will only be a minute.”_

“You heard the man. Come on, guys.” Qrow led them out of the room. He could hear murmuring and the vague buzz of chatter as they walked down the hall. Ozpin turned to the general. What did he need that not even Qrow could be there for? **You’ll see. Just be patient, please, Oscar.**

“What do you need, Ozpin?” Ironwood sank into his chair and knit his hands together. Ozpin opened his mouth to speak, only to freeze. **Oscar? May I tell him that you are transgender?** Oscar started. **It’s alright if you say no.** No, it’s okay. If you think he should know, go for it. **Thank you.** “Ozpin?”

_“Ah, yes. Sorry, James. I needed to get Oscar’s permission before proceeding.”_ Ozpin’s fingers twitched, as though he wished he was holding something. _“Oscar is transgender. I was hoping that you could help us with something.”_

“Of course. What do you need?” Oz pulled Oscar’s scroll out of his pocket and set it on the table.

_“Can you change the name and gender on his identification?”_ The general nodded and opened his scroll.

“I’ll need his given name or identification number.” **What should I give him?** The number. It’s 10222016. Ozpin repeated the number aloud, slowly, allowing Ironwood to type it in. A few clicks later, he placed his scroll on the table. An ID appeared on the glowing screen, one bearing his name, his real name. _“Thank you, James."_

“Of course. Do you need anything else?”

_“I don’t actually know.”_ **Oscar?** Nothing. Nothing legal, at least. Although I’m not sure that what he just did was entirely legal either. _“Nothing, according to Oscar. Thank you once again.”_ The rush came to his head again as Oz receded. **Thank you.** Oscar exhaled as his shoulders instinctively slumped forward. 

“Let me see you out.” Ironwood rose to his feet and led Oscar out of the room, then down the hall to where the others were waiting. 

“Thank you.” He nodded and turned away. Thank you. **Of course. This is meant to be a partnership. After all you have had to do for me and most likely will be forced to do in the future, it is only reasonable that I use the resources at my disposal to help you fulfill your needs.** Oscar nodded. And I will help you too, no matter what.


	10. Pride and Perfection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first chapter I've had a beta for, so I think it's better than the others. I hope you enjoy it too. I might go through and update some of the past chapters once they are betad as well.

Oscar held as still as possible as Ruby worked, moving her brush as gently as possible as she painted the flag on his face. She lowered her hand and leaned forward, giving him a quick kiss. Then she stepped back to look at his face. “Perfect!”

“Thank you, Ruby.” Blake and Yang emerged from the kitchen, hand-in-hand. He was not surprised to see a pink, yellow, and blue flag tied around her shoulders. Slightly more surprising, however, was the bisexual flag scarf wrapped around Blake’s neck. Her ears twitched.

“Are we going to leave, or just going to hang around for the rest of the day?” Qrow stepped down the stairs, followed by Weiss, Jaune, Nora, and Ren. Oscar looked up.

“Are we ready?” A chorus of assenting voices sounded around him. Qrow nodded and opened the door. He could see other people already walking to the parade, a flurry of rainbows and flowers. Ruby took his hand and led him out into the sunlight. A girl on colorful roller skates streaked past them, laughing, followed by a man with a trumpet. Blake’s scarf blew around in the wind. They could hear music playing and the sounds of people milling about. They walked down the street, weaving through the ever-thickening crowd of people.

Blake’s ears pricked up. She turned to look at one of the booths. Oscar followed her gaze. A girl with scales dusted across her face was holding a sign emblazoned with the words Faunus, Queer, Proud and shouting. Yang smiled at Blake. “You want to go talk to her?” She nodded. Yang glanced at Qrow, who nodded at them. She squeezed Blake’s hand, and they walked over to the booth. The girl set her sign down and moments later was gesticulating wildly at them. Ruby grinned.

“Ren! Look! Pancakes!” Nora squealed. Oscar turned to look where she was pointing. Indeed, a booth selling pancakes and passing out stickers was set up among the vendors and organizations. She grabbed his hand and yanked him away. Ren floundered as he was dragged across the field. He heard Jaune snicker.

They continued walking around the street, looking at tents and talking to people. A boy started flirting with Jaune, only to freak out when Jaune asserted that he had a girlfriend. “Well, she’s not here, is she?” He pried.

“Actually, she’s right here.” Weiss stepped forward. He stumbled backward, rapidly apologizing until Jaune laughed.

“It’s okay.” The boy blushed red and looked around, trying to avoid Jaune’s eyes. He locked eyes with Oscar, who likewise flushed. Then Jaune turned to Weiss, smiled, and walked away. Oscar glanced at the boy one more time. He’d already turned away and was talking to a boy with black rabbit ears. Ruby squeezed Oscar’s hand and pulled him away. A child, probably about eleven, bumped into him.

The kid looked up, on the verge of tears. “Hey, hey, it’s okay.” The child’s eyes locked onto the flag painted onto his cheek. They blinked the tears away and a shaky smile spread across their face. They ducked and ran away. Weiss turned to them.

“I wonder what that was about.” Nora bounded up to them, trailed by Ren, hands full of pancakes and stickers. She handed Ruby, Weiss, and Jaune stickers printed with the allies flag. Oscar noted that she and Ren were already wearing them. Then Nora reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of blue and pink cloth, which she handed to Oscar. He flipped it open to reveal a full-sized pride flag. Oscar smiled. Ruby, who had finished putting the sticker on her shirt, reached out for it.

“Do you want me to…?” He nodded. She took the flag and laid it over his shoulders, tying it into a knot to hold it on. Oscar reached out and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, beaming.

Blake and Yang walked up behind them. Blake was now wearing a Faunus, Queer, Proud shirt under her jacket and scarf. Yang grinned. Suddenly, a voice crackled over the loudspeaker. “Attention, guests. Tawny Marroiak’s performance is beginning. Please welcome them to the stage.” Moments later, a microphone turned on and a voice called out.

“Hello, everyone!” Oscar looked up. A young person, presumably Tawny, was standing on the stage. A rainbow flag was wrapped around their shoulders. “My name is Tawny! I’ll be singing for you today.” They smiled as they detached the microphone and began to sing. “There's a garden/Where I go/If you meet me there/No one will know.” Yang’s eyes lit up.

“Blake!” She beamed. “It’s our song.” Blake smiled and nodded. Oscar glanced over at Ruby, smiling softly, silver eyes shimmering as she, in turn, watched her sister. Oz? Do you have anything you want to do? Yes, but today is about you. Don’t preoccupy yourself with my feelings. What do you want? May I speak with Qrow? Yes.

“Qrow?” The man looked at him. “Oz has something he wants to say to you.” Are you ready? Thank you, Oscar.

“Qrow?”

“Oz.”

“Thank you for everything. For supporting me no matter what happened. For doing whatever it takes to fulfill your mission. And most of all, for being kind to Oscar. I understand how my death must have affected you.” Oz wrapped his arms around Qrow, the kind of hug that was both promise and plea, a thank-you and an I’m-sorry, that both expressed and ended things even Oscar didn’t know the breadth of. Oz stepped back, smiling sadly, and receded.

Oscar gasped. “You two… were…” Qrow just nodded and put a hand on Oscar’s shoulder.

“My doubts disappear/Every time that you're near/Clouds seem to run from the sky/The thought of your kiss/Sends my soul into bliss.” Blake’s ears stood upright. Yang spun around and kissed her, hard, deep and gleefully, hand trailing through her hair. Ruby grabbed his arm and pulled him close.

“I love you, Oscar!” She kissed him too, as the flag and her cape billowed out in opposite directions like the wings of a giant butterfly. She let go of him, a wide smile glowing across her face. Oscar blushed. And, in that moment, he knew he was truly happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there we go. Thank you so much to everyone who stuck around through this story and left kudos or comments.


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